Salvia plant named ‘Barsalcaram’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Salvia  plant named ‘Barsalcaram’, characterized by its upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark purple-colored lateral branches; early and freely flowering habit; upright inflorescences with violet blue-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Salvia nemorosa.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BARSALCARAM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant, botanically known as Salvia nemorosa and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Barsalcaram’.

The new Salvia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new medium-height Salvia plants with dark-colored lateral branches and attractive flowers.

The new Salvia plant originated from a cross-pollination in June, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Salvia nemorosa identified as code number SV-0013, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Salvia nemorosa identified as code number SV-0017, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Salvia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in December, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative terminal cuttings in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, since December, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Salvia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Salvia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Barsalcaram’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Barsalcaram’ as a new and distinct Salvia plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark purple-colored lateral branches.     -   5. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   6. Upright inflorescences with violet blue-colored flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Salvia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Salvia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Salvia have shorter lateral branches than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Salvia flower earlier than plants of the         female parent selection.

Plants of the new Salvia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Salvia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Salvia have longer lateral branches than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Salvia and the male parent selection differ         in lateral branch color as plants of the male parent selection         have green-colored lateral branches.     -   3. Plants of the new Salvia and the male parent selection differ         in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have         pink-colored flowers.     -   4. Plants of the new Salvia and the male parent selection differ         in sepal color as plants of the male parent selection have         red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Salvia can be compared to plants of Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Salvia differ from plants of ‘May Night’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Salvia are more compact and upright in         plant habit than plants of ‘May Night’.     -   2. Plants of the new Salvia are more freely branching than         plants of ‘May Night’.     -   3. Plants of the new Salvia and ‘May Night’ differ in lateral         branch color as plants of ‘May Night’ have green-colored lateral         branches.     -   4. Plants of the new Salvia have smaller leaves than plants of         ‘May Night’.     -   5. Plants of the new Salvia have shorter inflorescences than         plants of ‘May Night’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Salvia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Salvia plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Barsalcaram’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Salvia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were pinched one time and were three months old when the photograph was taken and one year old when the description was taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Salvia nemorosa ‘Barsalcaram’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Salvia             nemorosa identified as code number SV-0013, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Salvia             nemorosa identified as code number SV-0017, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About twelve             days at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; upright plant habit;             uniform and vigorous growth habit; rapid growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely basal branching with about twelve             primary lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 45 cm. Diameter:             About 1.4 mm. Internode length: About 6 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 79A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical to roughly cordate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Rugose, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 148C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 148C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 148C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single bilabiate flowers             arranged on erect spikes; freely flowering habit with about             60 flowers developing per inflorescence and about 1,152             flowers developing per plant during the flowering season;             flowers face mostly outwardly; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about 4.5 weeks after planting; plants             flower during May and June in an outdoor environment in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Conical. Color: Close to 86A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 20 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 1 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 1 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base forming a             single upper banner petal (upper lip), two lateral petals             and two lower petals (broad lower lip). Lobe length: About             4 mm. Lobe width: About 4 mm. Shape: Round. Apex: Round.             Base: Fused into a narrow tube. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Pubescent. Texture, throat: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, tube:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 93B. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 93B; venation, close to 93B; color does             not fade with development. Throat: Close to 91D; venation,             close to 91D. Tube: Close to 91D; venation, close to 91D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Five sepals fused to form a campanulate             calyx. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Deltoid. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire; ciliate. Texture,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, inner and             outer surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly erect to about 30° from             vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 79A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Flexible. Aspect: About 30° from vertical.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to 92B.             Anther shape: Oblique. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 162A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 8A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil             length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-lobed. Stigma color:             Close to 93A. Style length: About 1 cm. Style color: Close             to 90D. Ovary color: Close to 144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Salvia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Salvia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Salvia     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Salvia have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures     ranging from about −20° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Salvia plant named ‘Barsalcaram’ as illustrated and described. 